Pneumatic feed and return rock-drill.



.B. R. RAY. PNEUMATIO FEED AND RETURN BOOK DRILL.

APPLIOATIOE FILED SEPT. 28, 1912.

Patented NOVA, 1913.

WITNESSES! glaner@ tion through the y str .uiirrias .'Pii'iriiiivry OFFICE.

EBENEzEn .'a. nav, 'onrLncEnvILL-a, CALIFORNIA.

Pimimscric 'FEED un RETURN BooK-DRILL.

y Spe'oioatlon of Letten ratent, A Application med September 28, 1912.` Serial-No. 722,873.

Patented Nov. d, 1913.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at I, vIlnnivnznn R. RAY, a citizen of the United States residing at Placerville, in the county of ldorado and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Feed and Return Rock-Drills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rock drills, and particularly to neumatic drills.

The object o the present invention is t0 provide in pneumatic rock drills, means including a body portion having ports for admitting air to t e interior of t e drill body for driving a hammer or piston with percussive force, said iston being designed for coperation with t e airigrts, so that a ir may be admitted into the dy of the drill to return or retract the hammer piston after it has struck a blow.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a pneumatic drill, means whereby the drilling machine pro er may, after having been advanced to t e face of rock, be retracted by pneumatic pressure; to provide means in a pneumatic drill for automaticall revolving the drillin bit or cutter, sai means havin the furt er function of controlling the rill hammer or piston against circumferential movement; and to provide a ypneumatic drill having means whereby the drill body may-be coupled to the shank of the drill bit to pull the latter fromv the drill hole when the drilling machine structure is pneumatically removed from adjacent to the face..

The invention consists of a drilling machine, including means for pneumaticall driving and retracting a hammer, wit means for neumatically advancing the drilling mac ine toward and removing 4it from a rock face, and also consists in novel means for turning the drilling bit during operations.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, dametric secrilling machine in the plane vof the air conductors of the drilling machine. Fig. 2 is a diametricsection of a portion of the drilling machine inthe plane of the drill revolving device. Fig. 3 is a detail view -of av portion of the projectorI vtion comprises a'main-'cylinderor-body rtion 2, w ich it is one ofthe objects o the to design as compactly, and yet substantially, and as lightly as compatible with the ractice. This cylinder or body portion is shown as having a lgisten chamber 3, covered at its forwar en by a removable chuck or collet 4, which may be secured by bolts 5 to the contiguous end of the body of the drilling machine. Within the chuck 4, which has an open mouth 5 through which may be inserted a drill 6, there is mounted a ratchet wheel or equivalent device 7, having a solid portion 8 facing inwardly and exposed to the chamber 3. Reciprocally mountedin the chamber 3 is a hammer or reciprocating piston 9. The ratchet wheel or socket lock 7, against which the hammer 9 is adapted to strike percussively, is provided with teeth 10, 4engageable with operating pawls. 11. The means for actuating these pawls will be, more fully described hereinafter. The circumference of the ratchet wheel 7 is also rovided with an annular groove 12, registeringv longitudinally with the adjacent end o an escape duct or passageway 13 formed in the drill body 2; the annular oove 12 communicating through a radial uct 14 to the interior square or polygonal socket portion 15 in the ratchet wheel, which socket is adapted to receive the correspondin ly shaped end of the drill 6. f

urin the operation of'the drill hammer 9, w en it has been driven to the position `shown in Fig. 1, with the inlet port 19 cut out, the air in the forward portion of the chamber 3 is relieved and escapes through and into the escape duct 13 by a gort 13'. When the hammer 9 has been present invention riven forward against the block end 8 and the'feedport 25 cut off, the air behind the hammer will escape through a port 13, which communicates with the esca e passiige 13. The speed of the drill may e very e ectually controlled by introducing in the escape -passageway 13 a small controlling valve or cock 13", which, when fully opened, allows the free esca e of air from behind the piston throu l1 t e assageway 13 and thence through t e bloc 7 and through the hollow drill 6. If the valve 13b be turned partly oil' to partly close the assageway 13, then it is manifest that a bac c pressure will be created behind the piston 9, so that its The piston 9 is provided, as clearly shown .A a -drill c in Fig. 1, with central independent ducts or passageways 16--17 the former communicating with a radial port 18 which is disposed at such a distance from the forward end of the hammer 9that when the hammer assumes a position in the front end vof the drill body 2,'tlie porti -18 registerswith a feed ort 19 communicating with a common air c iainber 20, extending along the side oi the drill body 2.

The chamber 2O is normally sup lied with air under pressure through suitab e air hose or other equivalent connection 21,'in which is mounted a valve 22 b which the dow of air from the hose 21 into the .air pressure chamber 2O may be controlled. When the valve 22 is open to allow pressure of air to accumulate in the pressure chamber 20, and assuming that the piston has reached a position in the forward end of the drill body 2 with the ports 18-19 registering, then the force of air from the pressure c amber 20 will, by passing through the alined ports and the passageway 16, accumulate in front of the hammer and rcact thereon to move the hammer rearwardly unt-il it reaches a stop rin or valve cage l233',d appropriately mounted in the drill As the hammerv or piston 9 moves rearwardly under the force of air pressure against its front end, the assagew'ay 17 in the piston 9 is supplied wi h air under pressure by the alinement of two ports 24 formed in the iston 9, and 25 formed in the drill bo y 2, so that air underpressure thence asses from the air pressure chainber 20 tirough the alined ports 24e-25, and traversing the passageway 17 reacts against the rear end of the hammer 9, filling a chainber 26 in the ring or valve cage 23. The aci cumulating air pressure therein their drives the hammer forwardly, again carrying the iort 24 out of alinement with the ort 25 in the drill body) 2, and'cutting oit e supply of air. The low of the hammer 9 under the force of the air strikes the block'7 which in turn transmits the force to the drill 6. Having struck a blow the hammer is then pncumatically. returned by the admission of air through the port 19 inthe drill body 2 to the port 18 which admits air to the chams bei in front of the hammer.

One of the peculiar and important features of the present invention is the means whereby the drill machine is automatically advanced toward the face of the rock to follow u the drill 6 as this digs its way throug the rock. This means comprises a tubular extension or portion 28,' formed upon or connected to thel rear end of the drill bod 2. This portion is provided with hamber 29, `in which is movabley a iston 30, secured to an abutment rod- 31 ro- ]ecting through and supported in the en of cally the drill hole deepens, and a further imthe extension 28; the abutment 31 being provided with a point 32 which may be jammed against or stuck into a convenient wall, support, or column, here indicated as a timber 33. -The abut-ment end 32 of the abutment rod 31 is provided with suitable hooks 34 which may grapple the support 33, thus securely preventing the u or down sliding of the point 32. From this it will be seen that one end of the drilling machine is supported by the abutment rod 31, with its impinging point 32 jammed against some permanent or suiicient su port, as 33, and su ported at its othery end y the pressure of) the drill G against the rock which is being operated upon. The pressure of the drill 6 is maintained constantly and pneumatically by the passalge of air under pressure from the cham er 26 iii the valve cage 23, in which is mounted a valve 23', adapted to open into the chamber 29 when the air delivered from the chamber 20 through the registering ports 24-25 and passageway 17 is greater than the ressure of air in the chamber 29. Since the ull pressure of air in the chamber 20 is, by these registering ports and passageway, admitted to the chamber 29, it is evident that this pressure will be exerted to expand or relatively separate the abutment plunger 31, which is supported a ainstthe rigid support, as 33, and the dril body 2 which carries at its forward end the drill 6. Then in operation as soonas the hammer on its return strolre carries the port 24 into registration with the port 25, the high pressure air in pressure chamber 20 will be allowed to enter the valve cage chamber 23 and open the valve 23 and pass into the chamber 20, replenishing the air ressure therein to coinnsate for the slig t reduction when the low of the hammer drives the drill throurrh into the rock, and will also compensate or such leaka e as may occur around the piston 30 of the a utment rod 31.

The preceding portion of the specification has defined the means for operating the hammer both bv pneumat-icall advancing and pneumatically returning t e same and described the means for causing, pneumatithe advance of the drilling machine as portant object of the invention is the means whereby the drill 6 is automatically rotated as the drilling proceeds.

The drill rotation means comprises the pawls 11 which are adapted to engage with the ratchet teeth 10 of the socket block or device 7; the ratchet 11 bein appropriately mounted upon or joined to the ends of rock levers 25 which are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the drill body 2 in `chambers 36.` Each of the? levers is fulcriuned upon a pin 37 and normally pressed inwardly at their rear ends by respective isprings 88; the function of the springs being to hold the levers 34 against the cam surfaces 39 formedon-.diametrically opposite sides of the hammer piston 9.

.By formingl the cam surfaces 39 atthe bottoms of'recesses or longitudinal channels and causing the contiguous ends of the rocking levers 36 to enter the channels 40, these levers in addition to forming means for reciprocating the pawls l1, when the hammer 9 reciprocates, further have the function of preventing the rotation of the hammer 9 in its chamber 3, so as to maintain the proper alinement of the ports of the iston with the air feed ports of the rill feed 2.

In operation when the piston 9 is driven forward by the force of air admitted behind it, the ends of the levers 36 contacting with or bearing u on the cam surfaces 39 are caused to roc as the inclined portions of the cam surfaces pass under the adjacent ends of the levers 35. These levers are consequently rocked aboutrjtheir fulcrums37, so that the pawls. 11 -,will impingey a ainst and rotate the ratchet wheel or socket. lock 7 which in turn will turn or revolve the drill 6 a'portion of ai revolution.r As the piston 9 is returned to its starting point, by theadmisson of air through the 'ports'l8-19 to the fr'ont end of the cy inder chamber 3, the piston cam surfaces 89 will slideibeneath the adjacent ends of, tl1e1 levers 35 and the sprinvs 38 oftlie latter'willforce them in-v wardly and retractetheffeed-pawls 11` to an initial positiomagainin I Another important`t object;l of! the present; invention is to l.provide-means whereby, after the drill 6 has'beendriven to the-working limit of the mechanismzinto the rock,`-the drilling machine can be4 neumaticallyre# traeted or drawn away rom the face :of the 'rock-land at the same time'withdraw the drill from .the drill hole. I'accomplish this by providing 'wsuitabl'e frameworkizor structure comprisingl transverse brackets 41- 41 at the rear and forward ends ofil the drill, in which are securely mounted parallel cylinders or brace rods 42. AI have-shown these brace rods 42 as arranged on opposite sides of the drilling machine, and the rear cnds of the cylinders 42 are connected to a common manifold 43, having a suitable air connection 44 whereby'air under thedesired pressure may be admitted throughcontrolling cocks 45-45 into either one or the other or both of the side cylinders 42.

Telescoping within the cylinders 42 and projecting normally'at the frontend are push-rods 46-46, mounted in appropriate bearings 48 in the bracket 41 at one end of the drillin machine. The push-rods 46 have piston ieads 47 at their inner -ends snugly fitting the cylinders 42, so that when air is admitted through the cocks 45 behind the piston heads 47, which will be done after backwardly away the drilling machine has been operated close up to the rock face, the force of the air behind the-pistons 47 will project the pushrods 46` from the cylinders 42 against the face of the rock and react upon the drilling machine to force the latter away from the face of the rock and substantially stationary pistons 47 these being supported by the rods 46 resting upon the rock. So long as air under pressure is admitted 4through the air cocks 45 into the cylinders 42, behind the pistons 46, the drilling machine will be pneumatically forced away from the face of the rock to the desired position. During its rearward movement it is supported upon the abutment rod 3l until the drill 6 is finally withdrawn, when the apparatus can be readjusted for drilling another hole.

For the purpose of accomplishing the return movement of the push-rods 46, with their pistons 47, in the cylinders 42, I have shown the push-rods 46 as each surrounded with a spring 49, reacting between the bushin 48 and the pistons 47.

1 or `the purpose of relieving back pressure behind the piston 30 of the abutment rod 31 and thepistons 47 of the push-rods 46, I

provide suitable relief valves 50 which the operator will manipulate at such times as it is. desired to permit the escape of air in the chambers behind the inwardly moving pistons, as 30 or 47.

lVheni the drilling machine is being forced from the rock face, it is desirable' to positively connect the drilling machineto the drill 6 so as to insure the withdrawal of the drill from the hole. This I provide for by forming on one side of the drilling machine body 2 a radially projecting lug or spur 51, upon which is swiveled aclutch or clamp 52. This clamp 52 is adapted yto firmly bite upon or otherwise engage the drill shank 6, so that as the drill body 2 moves rearwardly the drill shank 6 will move rearwardly also, and by forming a lever or handle portion 53 on the clamp 52 the latter may be oscillated so as to free the drill 6 when it becomes momentarily stuck in the hole.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- ent is,-

.12 The combination in a rock drilling niachine, of a body portion, means for supplylngccompressed air to a passageway in said portion, a piston chamber in the drill body within which is reciprocable a hammer piston operable by the air pressure, a tubular extension on the drill body to which coinressed air is admitted, an abutment rod avlng a. piston fitting the tubular extension,

`and upon which the air reacts to force the piston-rod outwardly and the drill body forwardly so that the drilling machine may be sustained while operating with the opposite end of the drilling machine supported upon a drill in the rock, and a pneumaticallyoperable retractor supported at one end of said extension'and atthe'opposite end of the drill body for retractingA the machine and telescoping theabutment rod.

2. In a drilling apparatus, the combination with a drill body having an air pressure passageway, of means for supplyin air under pressure to said passagewa a ammer chamber provided in the drill body, a hammer reciprocable in the drill body operative by the air admitted in the body, an abutment rod rojectin from the opposite end of the dri in mac line and adapted to engage a suitab e support, said abutment rod having a piston movable in the contiguous portion o the drilling machine under air pressure, and a pneumaticall operated mechanism for retracting the rilling machine away from the face of the rock, said retracting mechanism comprisin tubular members attached to the drill b y, valves for supplying air to-said tubular members, and push-rods mounted in said tubular members and adapted to be projected therefrom by the force 'of compressed air, when admitted by the valves the reaction "of theair. bringing the rods iirst into en agement with the rock face and subsequent y reacting to force the drilling machine away from` the same.

3. A rock drilling mechanism comprising a body rtion having means for engaging the contiguous end of a cutting drill, meansfor retractin the drilling apparatus from the face of t e rock, after the cutting drill has been driven in, and a pneumatically operated abutment rod acting oppositely to and coperating with the drill to sup ort the mac iine, said retracting means inc udl ing cylinders a ainst the rock face for sup orting the load o the mechanism at that en and valves for controlling the admission of air into the cylinders to actuate the plungers.

4. A. rock drilling a body portion having means for engaging the contiguous end of a cutting drill, means for rctructinv the drilling apparatus from the face of the rock, after the cuttingy drill has been driven in, means for coupling the cutting drill to the drill body for extracting the cutting drill from the rock when the drilling apparatus is retracted, and a pneumatically operatednbutment rod actin oppositely to and copcrating with the drill to support the machine, said retracting means including cylinders having plungers prodrill,va drill drivin fro engageable' with a support having plungers projectable v mechanism comprising nemers jectable against the rock face for supporting the load of the mechanism at that end, and valves for controlling the admission of air into the cylinders to actuate the plungers.

Inl a rock drilling machine, a cutting drill, a drill drivin engine having a part eggaging one end o the drill, an abutment r engageable with a support and projectingoppositely from the engine to, and combining with, the drill to support the engine, a air of parallel cylinders one on either side the engine and turnably connected therewith, automatically telescoping push-rods in each cylinder having ends en ageable with the rock face entered by the drill, and means for supplying air under pressure to said cylinders to project said rods against the rock and later force the machine in the opposite direction.

6. In a rock drilling machine, a cut-ting drill,ladrill drivin engine havinfr a part en aging one end og the drill, an eiutinent ro( engageable with aisupport and projecting oppositely 'from the engine to, and coinbiningwith, the drill to support'the engine, a air of parallel cylinders one on either side o the engine and turnably connected therewith, automaticall telescoping push-rods in each cylinder aving ends engageuble with-the rock face entered by the drill, and means for supplying airunder pressure to said cylinders to project said rods against the rock and later forcethey machine and the drill in the opposite direction.

7. In a rock drillingmacliine, a cutting engine havin a part the drill, an a utnient and projecting oppositely from the engine to, and coinbiningavith, the drill to support the engine,

en ging one end o i a airff.parallelcylinders one on either side the engineand turnably connected therewith, automa'ticallytclescoping push-rods in each cylinder having ends en ageable with therock face entered by the drill, and means for supplying air under pressure to said cylinders to reject said rods against the rock and later orce the machine and the drill in the opposite direction, said usli-rods and the abutment lunger sustaining the engine when the drillpis withdrawn from the rock.

lIn testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.-

EBENEZER R. RAY.

-Witnessesi JOHN H. HanniNo, W. W. HEALEY.

Genies ot this patent may De otahicdlor ave cents each, by addrening the Oommlisioner of Patents, washington, D: o. 

